The next few weeks were uneventful, until Erin came down with tonsillitis. She was stuck in bed all the time, bored out of her mind. She couldn't go to school, she couldn't concentrate on reading a book, so she had to stare at the ceiling or sleep.
Emma and Mary Ellen ran into the bedroom after school, laughing. "Hey Erin, look who's here!"
"Peter." Mary Ellen wheezed, making room for Ben, Jason and Peter.
Erin's eyes widened and she blushed when she saw he had flowers. As he handed them to her, she smiled wider then she ever had. "Thank you." She managed to whisper.
"Those are the first two words she's said all day." Ben cackled.
"It's a miracle!" Jason sniggered as Peter dashed out of the room and off to his own home.
Erin pouted as the two boys started to pretend again. "Oh, Erin, I love you."
"I love you too Peter!" Ben put on his really strong southern accent and they ran away together, laughing extremely hard.
"Oh." Erin huffed, folding her arms.
As the whole family sat around the radio that night, (even Erin, who was snuggled on the couch) Emma analysed them all.
Grandpa was chuckling at the not even funny parts, Grandma swatting at him lovingly every once in a while. That was what Emma wanted from life, a husband who loved her as much as she loved him.
John sat on a stool with Elizabeth on his knee, a concentrated look on his face. Elizabeth was almost asleep, only drifting totally awake when everyone burst into laughter.
Olivia was finishing up the dishes, sending loving looks back to John whenever she turned her head. Her strawberry blonde hair shone in the fading light, as she put every ounce of her end of the day energy into her work.
John Boy was sitting beside Emma, laughing his head off about something she hadn't been paying attention to. She didn't have a crush on him, no, not anymore, but he was a great big brother.
Jason was strumming on his guitar at the edge of the couch, going over and over notes until Mary Ellen shushed him. Then he just started over again.
Mary Ellen was paying extreme attention to the radio, trying to learn some catch phrases for G. W. She was still the same Mary Ellen, but mabye a bit more mature.
Ben was grumbling about something to Jim Bob, an angry look on his face. Okay, so mabye Emma and Ben were closer then they had been last year, but Emma did NOT have a crush on him.
Erin was snuggled under a blanket on the couch, feeling sorry for herself. As much as Jason tried to get her to laugh, she kept a sad expression on her face.
Jim Bob rolled his eyes at Ben and scooted over to Jason, who started to have a hushed conversation with him.
Satasfied with her analysations, Emma started to think about her parents. Mabye they were talking, catching up on all the things mama had missed.
Happy with that thought, Emma sat back and soaked in the radio.